"Wait, did you say Luciano?"
Karise, now embodying Filia, instantly sharpened her gaze.
According to Filia's memories, Luciano wasn't just the Commander of the Alliance Air Force; he was also the esteemed Principal of the Alliance Military Academy, the most outstanding pilot in Star Alliance history, and a dream figure for many young girls. Yet, he was also known to be cold, ruthless, and relentless—not exactly the epitome of compassion. To be precise, a male werewolf.
"So, not only do I have to captivate him, but I also have to turn him into a doting husband?" Filia found it incredulous.
"Indeed, Master. The prior task hasn't been fully explained. The final objective is for you to find the culprits responsible for the previous host's murder."
Finally, the system's words concluded, momentarily rendering Filia silent.
Recalling the scene of the original host's demise, where the assassins had surrounded her without uttering a word, despite her exceptional skills, she was outnumbered, outmatched, and eventually succumbed to a single injector.
She was an orphan, with no ties to the bloodline. Who could have wanted her dead?
Faced with a multitude of questions, Filia found herself unable to untangle the web in her mind and decided to postpone pondering over them for the time being.
After a refreshing bath, and a change of clothes, an exhausted Filia collapsed onto her bed.
This world marked yet another iteration for her to assemble Morphling's soul fragments. She needed to fulfill the tasks designed by the divine system within the simulation to earn these rewards. This journey might be arduous, but resurrecting Morphling made every trial worthwhile.
A night's rest passed by swiftly, and at 7 a.m., the alarm went off as scheduled.
Out of habit, Filia was about to rise and prepare for the day. However, realizing her sorcery skills allowed her to open teleportation gates at will, she opted to linger in bed for nearly an hour longer before finally getting up.
After grooming and donning her uniform, Filia casually traced a pathway with her fingertips, conjuring a portal leading to her office, and seamlessly transitioned into her work routine—a convenient feeling indeed.
Carrying a bag of blood plasma, Filia entered her office—an archival position within the Star Alliance government. A perpetual role devoid of promotions or errors, it was a stark contrast to her military academy achievements, where she had ended up as a mere clerk.
Nevertheless, this job held a silver lining for Filia in the present circumstance—it brought her close to Luciano, who also had his office in the same building. Occasionally, she caught sight of him.
As for fulfilling her wish to become the most formidable warrior, Filia knew she needed to devise a plan.
While having breakfast and handling documents simultaneously, before her seat had even warmed up, her office door swung open.
Entering were her supervisor and two men in deep blue uniforms.
"Filia, the Commander requests your presence. Right away," the supervisor commanded, stern-faced, accompanied by the two military-clad men, devoid of expression.
"The Commander wants to see me?" Filia stood up, and blinked, wondering if she had walked into trouble willingly.
"Don't waste time. The Commander doesn't like to be kept waiting."
The former host's characterization was known for being exceedingly kind and gentle. The discrimination faced over the years had eroded her rough edges, leading her to settle for clerical work instead of military service. Despite being unable to fight on the front lines, she never abandoned her dream of becoming a warrior. While not wholly aligning with Filia's current persona, she couldn't afford to unravel too quickly.
"Yes."
Compliantly nodding, Filia followed the group out.
To her surprise, as she stepped out of her office, a squad of armed special forces personnel awaited her.
Filia instinctively pondered whether the former host had committed a grave offense, perhaps angering Luciano, resulting in this high-security escort—an improbable scenario.
Despite wracking her brain, there had been no interaction between Filia and Luciano aside from sharing the same workplace.
Quickly surrounded, Filia boarded the elevator under the watchful eyes of her escort, reaching the pinnacle floor of the Star Alliance government building. As she stood before the Commander's office door, a female military officer knocked and then ushered Filia inside.
Drawing a deep breath, Filia felt a twinge of nervousness as she entered the expansive office.
Upon entering, she beheld a white-uniformed man poring over documents at a large desk.
"You're here." Without waiting for Filia to speak, Luciano initiated the conversation.
"Come, have a seat." Not looking up, Luciano spoke again.
Filia, after a moment's hesitation, took slow steps towards him and settled in the chair opposite him.
"Excuse me for a moment; I have a document to finish."
Luciano focused intently on signing, and Filia observed him, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Truly deserving of being a dream figure for countless young girls, Luciano's handsome features were nothing short of exquisite.
Jet-black hair, impeccably styled, bold, narrow brows, deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, a jawline, and neck curvature that exuded both sensuality and resilience. Not to mention, the movement of blood within his arteries...
Inadvertently, as Filia swallowed, the sound rang notably loud in the otherwise quiet office.
Feeling her composure slip, she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand.
At that moment, Luciano raised his head upon hearing the sound.
The gazes of the two locked.
"Do you need anything to drink?"
"No, thank you, Commander."
Filia forced a coy smile, while Luciano set aside his documents and reclined comfortably in his chair.
"Let's get to it, Filia. When you joined the Alliance, you signed a contract agreeing to comply with all work arrangements of the Star Alliance government and not resign. Do you remember?"
"I... I remember." Filia nodded. Upon graduating from military school, she had sworn to serve and be loyal to the Star Alliance indefinitely.
"Good. Now, I officially inform you that you are being reassigned from your previous position. Your new role is to marry me—to become my wife and attend to my daily needs."
"..."
As Luciano completed his statement, Filia couldn't help but think she had misheard.
What was he saying? He wanted her to marry him? And this was supposed to be her job?
"I understand you may find this overwhelming at the moment, but this decision has been made."
Decision by whom? Eyes widened, Filia couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Commander, you aren't joking, are you?"